Vegetable cutter with stationary knives and reciprocating plunger



. July 1, 1947. J. v. MYERS VEGETABLE CUT'I'ER WITH STATIONARY KNIVES AND RECIPROCATING PLUNGER 4 Sheets-Shet 1 I Filed Dec. 4, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Rb uuumuvumnnmn. 3.32 533:

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A rroR/ve-r Patented July 1, 1947 VEGETABLE CUTTER WITH STATIONARY KNIVES AND RECIPROCATING PLUNGER Joseph V. Myers, Tampa, Fla. Application December 4, 1943, Serial No. 512,922

3 Claims.

This invention relates to vegetable cutters which can be used for dicing, slicing or shredding vegetables according to the arrangement of knife blades in a knife frame, which frame is removably held in operative position and in coactive relation to a die block or plunger that is reciprocally mounted with relation to the knife frame.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a vegetable cutting machine of the character indicated, in which the die block is mounted on rods that reciprocate horizontally in the present embodiment of the invention; the machine of which the foregoing elements are a part having means for projecting and means for retracting the rods so that the die block is moved to force the vegetables through the knife frame between the knife blades where the vegetables are cut into appropriate shapes, according to the arrangement of the knife blades, the said die block being retracted mechanically after its forward movement.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means connected to the outer ends of the rods, to which a suitably operated cable is attached, the said cable being reciprocated under the influence of a manually operated pedal for pulling the cable in one direction and a tensioning member for retracting the cable after each movement of the cable under the influence of the pedal; and the invention furthermore includes novel guiding wheels or pulleys over which the cable is strung and operates during the aforesaid actuation of the cable.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a vegetable cutter which comprises comparatively few, inexpensive parts which are strong and durable, as well as efficient and satisfactory in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed. 7

In describing the invention in details, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of the machine, partly in section;

Figure 2 illustrates a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of the machine on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5 illustrates a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Figure 6 illustrates a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig, 1;

Figure '7 illustrates a sectional View on the line l-'! of Fig. 12;

Figure 8 illustrates an edge view of a channel broken away to disclose the head structure;

Figure 9 illustrates a plan View of a fragment of the machine showing the rods and the details of the cross head;

Figure 10 illustrates a sectional view of parts on the line Ill-4 ll of Fig. 9;

Figure 11 illustrates an enlarged detail view of the connection between the cable and the plate of the die block;

Figure 12 illustrates a view in elevation of the knives and the mountings therefor;

Figure 13 illustrates a sectional view on the line l3i3 of Fig, 12;

Figure 14 illustrates a sectional view on the line i l-4G of Fig. 12; and.

Figure 15 illustrates a view in elevation, partly in section, of a receptacle for. receiving the cut vegetables.

For the better understanding of the mechanical parts of the machine, the casings and shields are omitted, although the machine will have appropriate guards such as are well known by those skilled in the art, so that in the present embodiment of the invention the base of the machine comprises two side members or bars 15 which are connected at their rear ends by a cross member it, and the bars may be otherwise braced by transversely connected members, although these are details which may be varied to suit particular requirements. A post or upright ll is connected to each of the base members I5 and they are braced between their ends by cross members, each consisting of plates l8 and 59, whose ends are anchored to the posts. A pulley 251 is ro-- tatably mounted between the plates of the lower cross member, and a pulley 2! is rotatably mounted between the plates of the other cross member for engagement by a cable 22. It is seen that the cable is connected at 23 to a pedal lever the 24 below the lower cross member, and the said pedal lever has its rear end connected to a link 25, which link has its other end anchored to the cross member 16, so that as the pedal lever is forced downwardly at its outer end, it operates the cable, and when pressure is removed from the pedal the lever is returned to its normal position, under the action of a spring, to be presently described.

The structural features of the cutter which are supported on the posts I! comprise a frame on which the posts 26-, El, 2% and 29 are located, the said posts being arranged in pairs on each side of the frame. The posts have apertures in which the rods 36 and 3! are guided, it being shown that the inner ends of these rods are connected mediately to the die block 3|, through the employment of a plate, to be hereinafter described, which die block is slidable on or over a table 32 on which the vegetables are placed to be forced through the knife blades.

The knife frame 33 is held in the path of travel of the die block by the standards or posts 3% and 35, here shown as channel irons approximately U-shaped in cross section, in which the knife frame or vegetable cutting means is movable or slidable vertically to its operative position and which it he removed by manipulation of its handle 36.

The knife frame has a series of slots 3? on one of its sides and holes .38 .on the opposite side, for -the lodgement of the front row of knife blades as, and the said frame has slots tea on one side and holes 55% on the opposite side which are at right angles to the first mentioned sides but rear- Wardly of the first series of slots and holes for other knife blades. The slots merge with recesses Iii in which cross ii extending through the blades are lodged for holding the blades against longitudinal movement. The rows of blades are so located that the edges of the blades of one row are separated from the edges the blades of the other row, acondition which permits the free movement of the individual blades and removes liability of the edges of the blades being afiected by contact with the other blades shown in Fig. 13. Each knife blade is connected to a bolt at the end opposite the cross pins and each bolt is lodged in one of the hole 3911. A nut is threaded on each. bolt and serves to exert tension on the knife blade when the nut is threaded on the bolt and is in contact with thecuter surface of the knife frame or a washer t interposed between the frame and the nut. The belt is connected to frame by a pin, such as as fully shown in the drawing.

The outer ends of the rods are coupled by a yoke or cross head i? to which the cable is connected, and the said cable operates over a pulley 5. The cable therefore moves the cross head inwardly when the pedal is depressed or pushed downwardly. A cable it operates over another pulley 59 and it has a fitting SE at one end which engages a hook 522 on a plate 53 to which the die block is attached. The opposite end of the last mentioned cable projects downwardly into the hollow standard and is engaged by a spring tensioned to pull the cable downwardly into the standard, this action being coun-- tcr to the pull of the other cable when the pedal is operated, and the pedal is returned to nor mal position by the action of the spring 5 3. Hence, the operation of the pedal forces the die block into operative relation to the knife blades the knife and the aforesaid spring retracts the die block for a repetition of the operation.

The manner in which the cable is attached to the yoke is illustrated as embodying a U- shaped bracket having an aperture 56, through which the cable projects, and within the bracket there is a lug 5i to which the cable is connected. The lug holds the end of the cable in the bracket.

The table 32 is supported on posts 58 located on the frame, and the knife frame is adjustably supported in the standards by threaded members 59 and suitable nuts 60 and 6| in order that the interstices between the blades will properly register with the projections of the die block.

A receptacle 52 is secured to the standards 34 and 35 by arms 63 and 64 which are attached to the receptacle and serve to hold the receptacle in place for receiving the cut vegetables. A handle 65 is attached to the side of the receptacle so that it can be manipulated for removing it from its association with the machine, and the said receptacle is further provided with a hinged bottom 66 held closed by a latch El so that the contents of the receptacle may be removed from it by releasing the bottom and permitting it to swing open, as illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. .15. The type of receptacle may be varied to suit particular requirements for convenient operation.

Iclaim:

1, In a vegetable cutter, a suitable frame, a table mecliately supported thereon for receiving vegetables, a die block operatively associated with the table, rods connected to the die block and mounted for reciprocation with respect to the frame, a yoke connecting the outer ends of the rods, a cable connected to the yoke, a pedal 'to which the opposite end of the cable is connected, guiding pulleys over which the said cable operates, a cable 'mediately connected to the die block, a spring at the end of the last mentioned cable operative to pull the die block outwardly against the action of the first mentioned cable, and a vegetable cutter at the edge of the table opposite that occupied by the die block, whereby vegetables pushed by the die block are subjected to the action of knives.

2. In a vegetable cutter, a suitable support for operating mechanism, standard in spaced .relation to each other located on the support, rods in the standards, a die block at one end of the rods movable with said rods, said die block having projections on its face, a yoke connecting the rods at their opposite ends, means for exerting pull on the yoke for moving the rods in one direction, means for moving the rods in the opposite direction, a table over which the die block operates, vegetable cutting means at the edge'of the table opposite the die block whereby the movement of the die block forces vegetables through the cutting means, and an adjustable support forth'e cutting means whereby the said cutting means is made to register with the projections of the die block.

3. In a vegetable cutter, a suitable support for operating mechanism, standards in spaced relation to each other located on the support, rods in the standards, a die block at one end of the rods movable with said rods, said die block having-projections on its face, a yoke connecting the rods at their opposite ends, means for exerting pull on the yoke for moving the rods in one direction, means for moving the rods in the opposite direction, a table over which the die block operates,

5 posts at the edge of the table opposite the die block, said posts being U-shaped in cross section forming channels, vegetable cutting means slidable in the said channels in position to cut vegetables pushed over the table by the die block, and means for adjusting the vegetable cutting means vertically in the posts.

JOSEPH V. MYERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Simon July 9, 1907 Smythe June 20, 1911 Bakewell May 12, 1942 Bakewell May 12, 1942 Henderson Apr. 3, 1906 Aylworth Nov. 7, 1871 Odell Apr. 18, 1876 Frerking Nov. 27, 1900 

